Heather’s Bitter & Sweet Asian Salad. Vegan Glutenfree Recipe

Whenever I stop by Heather’s blog Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes, what gets me first is the name. Every time I read it, its generates a feeling of a fun weekend with no stress, bright sunshine, great food and beaches. I just want to pick up a basket and head to Heathers for the Sunday Brunch:) The second thing that entrances me is the photography. I dont know about you, but all those colors, vibrant, pretty and all of them working together, are like a sweet song to my eyes. And her creations always look amazing.

Today I have Heather here bringing you this beautiful salad. This is the Spring that I have been missing in the Northwest, in pictures!

Thank you for the wonderful post Heather.

Now the Salad.

What can I say about Richa that hasn’t already been said – she is one of the most inspiring ,compassionate & strong Ladies I know. Not only is her personal story and life journey inspiring, when she’s in the kitchen that is really where the magic happens – Richa turns out the most creative and inspiring recipes I have ever come across. I am honored to share with you a dish that so very much reminds me of Richa, bright, happy, definitely not bitter despite the name but definitely sweet.

This recipe was originally created for my bi monthly book club discussion – we were to share a dish with our fellow readers that was inspired by the book. The book pick to be discussed: On the Corner of Bitter & Sweet, hence the name of the dish and the flavor profile of the dish. When I began photographing the finished dish the colors and composition reminded me so much of Richa, i just new this was the dish to share with her readers.

This salad is amazingly easy to throw together and keeps well for a couple of days in the fridge, serves well hot, cold or at room temp – making it the ideal candidate for a potluck or cocktail party.

The quinoa can easily be swapped for rice, the edamame for green peas and the purple cabbage for green cabbage. Although the purple cabbage makes this dish quite pretty.

Gluten free, vegan & nut free – this is a dish that certainly pleases a crowd. Even the pickiest of eaters at book club went back for seconds.

Thank you Richa for sharing your space with me today and for being such an amazing friend and beautiful person. The world is so very lucky to have you.

Bitter & Sweet Asian Salad

serves 6-8

you will need:

2 cups cooked quinoa

1/2 cup shelled edamame

1/2 cup diced red pepper

1 medium carrot – peeled into ribbons

1 cup pineapple- cut into bite size pieces

1 1/2 cup(s) shredded purple cabbage

for the dressing

juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup tamari

2 tbsp pure maple syrup

1 tbsp organic rice vinegar

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tsp ground fresh chili paste

1 tsp of each – black & white sesame seeds

assembly:

In a large bowl add quinoa through cabbage – gently tossing to mix well.

In a small bowl, add all ingredients for the dressing and whisk until emulsified.

Add the dressing to the large bowl and gently mix with a rubber spatula until dressing is evenly distributed – garnish with additional sesame seeds if desired.

Serve at room temp, cold or warm – keeps in the fridge for at least 3 days.

I’m really trying not to be a blogger stalker….haha….but I just HAD to let you know about my book club last night and what we are now calling “THE Salad.” 5 out of the 6 of us in my group absolutely LOVED it with the remaining holdout giving it a “meh.” We won’t count her vote. LOL! 🙂 I made a double batch and there was just enough left for 3 of the gals to be able to take some home for their lunch at work today. I give this a 5 star rating out of 5 stars. Absolutely Brilliant Recipe!!

I made the salad as per the recipe and it looks very nice. I don’t like the taste of the dressing though and now have a huge bowl of goodness that I am not crazy about. I find the dressing is too bitter so I added a bit more pineapple to the salad but the bitterness really comes through. 🙁

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